I just got finished  adding up my taxes  and feel like 2 cents..when I read
the following ....best Michael

Dear IRS,

Enclosed is my 1999 tax return & payment.

Please take note of the attached article from USA Today newspaper.  In
the article, you will see that the Pentagon is paying $171.50 for
hammers and NASA has paid $600.00 for a toilet seat.

Please find enclosed four toilet seats (value $2400) and six hammers
(value $1029).  This brings my total payment to $3429.00.

Please note the overpayment of $22.00 and apply it to the "Presidential
Election Fund," as noted on my return.  Might I suggest you the send the
above mentioned fund a 1.5 inch screw." (See attached article...HUD paid
$22.00 for a 1.5 inch Phillips head screw.)

It has been a pleasure to pay my tax bill this year, and I look forward
to paying it again next year.

Sincerely,
    A Satisfied Taxpayer

and now..a little something on S.S

Our Senators and Congressmen don't pay in to Social Security, and, of
course, they don't collect from it.

The reason is that they have a special retirement plan that they voted for
themselves many years ago. For all practical purposes, it works like this:

When they retire, they continue to draw their same pay, until they die,
except that it may be increased from time to time, by cost of living
adjustments.

For instance, former Senator Bradley, and his wife, may be expected to draw
$7,900,000, with Mrs. Bradley drawing $275,000 during the last year of her
life. This is calculated on an average life span for each.

This would be well and good, except that they paid nothing in on any kind of
retirement, and neither does any other Senator or Congressman.

This fine retirement comes right out of the General Fund: our tax money.
While we who pay for it all, draw an average of $1000/month from Social
Security.

Imagine for a moment that you could structure a retirement plan so desirable
that people would have extra deducted so that they could increase their own
personal retirement income.  A retirement plan that works so well, that
Railroad employees, Postal Workers, and others who aren't in it, would
clamor to get in.

That is how good Social Security could be, if only one small change were
made.  That change is to jerk the Golden Fleece retirement out from under
the Senators and Congressmen, and put them in Social Security with the rest
of us.   Then watch how fast they fix it.

If enough people receive this, maybe one or some of them along the way,
might be able to help.
signed 2 cents